


Tried and True

by Settiai



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, One Shot, Post-Mass Effect 3, Spectre Requisitions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 11:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13903362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settiai/pseuds/Settiai
Summary: Shepard could honestly say that she never expected to fall in love with a krogan.





	Tried and True

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoddessTiera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoddessTiera/gifts).



Shepard could honestly say that she never expected to fall in love with a krogan.

If she thought about it, really thought about it, she could remember the first time she met Wrex. It had only been a few seconds of interaction, a gruff krogan pushing past her, Ashley, and Kaidan as they stumbled their way through Chora's Den without any idea what they were about to get themselves into. She'd barely even noticed him.

It was almost funny how time changed things.

A bottle filled with some type of liquid that smelled positively _foul_ was shoved in front of Shepard's face.

She went a bit cross-eyed for a second as she looked at it. It wasn't ryncol, that much was certain, but that didn't make it any less dangerous. "I'm not sure I want to ask," she said as she cautiously reached out and took the bottle. There was always a chance it could burn through human skin.

Wrex snorted and took a swig from his own bottle, which was definitely filled with ryncol. "You're thinking too much. You should drink more."

Shepard glanced down at the bottle and sniffed at it. It smelled horrible, but it didn't burn her nose too much. "Are you sure this won't kill me?"

He shrugged and shot her a toothy grin. "Only one way to find out."

Her eyebrows rose at that, but she couldn't particularly argue. With a tired shrug, she took a large gulp of the mystery drink.

It tasted worse than it smelled.

Shepard managed not to gag, but it was touch-or-go for a second. Her eyes were definitely watering a little as she forced her mouth into a weak smile. "I've had worse."

Wrex threw his head back and laughed. "I've given you worse."

There wasn't really an argument for that either. Shepard managed a brief nod as she tried to keep breathing while whatever the hell she'd just drank burned its way down her chest.

She glanced up at the sky. It was getting dark, and a few faint stars were visible in the sky. The temperature was almost bearable for the moment, compared to the heat of the day at least, but she knew it would be freezing cold within the hour. It always was, this time of the year.

It said a lot, that she'd been on Tuchanka long enough to know what was normal and what wasn't when it came to the local weather.

Beside her, Wrex snorted.

Shepard glanced over at him. "What?" she asked lightly.

"You're still thinking too much," he said gruffly.

She gave him a weak smile that she doubted reached her eyes. Then she obediently took another swallow of her drink, hoping against hope that the second time would be better than the first. It wasn't, not that she'd really expected it to be.

Shepard had stopped thinking the universe really cared all that much about her years ago.

While the taste wasn't any better, the alcohol didn't burn quite as much going down this time. It was enough to convince her to take another large swig, at least.

Wrex chuckled. "That's better."

"Shut up," Shepard muttered, reaching over to give him a light punch on the arm. She suspected he didn't even feel it, although it was enough to make her hand ache a little bit.

Then she took another drink. It didn't seem to be poisonous, or at least not any more than most alcohol, and the taste was growing on her.

Well, no. That was a blatant lie. The slight buzz that it was causing was growing on her, though, so Shepard would take what she could get.

They sat there in silence for several minutes. Wrex huffed a bit when Shepard leaned her head against his arm, resting it there, but he didn't say anything. She honestly thought he liked it, not that he'd ever say as much.

"I want to go kill something tomorrow," Shepard said suddenly.

She could almost feel Wrex's brow shifting upward as he glanced over at her. She didn't look at him, well aware that he'd be able to read her face like a datapad if she did.

"Huh," he said finally. "Anything particular?"

Her mouth twisted into a wry grin. "How about a thresher?" she asked. "I heard a rumor that there was one causing trouble down by the new settlement."

There was another long pause. Then he chuckled. "Bakara will kill us both."

Shepard glanced at him. "That wasn't a 'no.'"

She was honestly a little surprised that it wasn't one. As much as she hated the thought of it, she knew that the anniversary of the war's end was important for most people – even on Tuchanka. There were supposed to be speeches and feasts and drinking and violence, all of the usual things, albeit with a slightly more krogan leaning.

He was right. Bakara would kill them both if they were to disappear, even for a worthy cause like killing a thresher.

That didn't mean she wasn't still hoping, just a little, that he'd agree to it. Even she wasn't foolish enough to fight a thresher by herself. And it would be nice to at least attempt to ignore the anniversary.

Wrex stared at her for almost a minute, an expression on his face that she couldn't quite figure out even after knowing him for so long. Then his mouth split into another toothy grin, and he reached out to tap the mostly full bottle in her hand.

"Tell you what," he said, and his tone was enough to make her immediately narrow her eyes in suspicion. "You drink the rest of that, and if you still want to go kill a thresher in the morning we will."

Shepard stared at him. Then she glanced down at the bottle she was holding. "Are you sure it's not poison?" she asked a little warily.

Wrex threw his head back and laughed.

Shaking her head, Shepard took another swig of her drink. She wasn't a complete idiot. She knew damn well what the next day was going to involve. She was going to get up and be a good retired Spectre. She'd give the speech that Bakara wanted her to give, and she'd drink too much, and she'd probably get into at least three fights.

Still, it was nice to dream of something quieter, if only for a few minutes.

Although she wasn't entirely sure what it said about her, that she thought fighting a thresher maw was _something quieter_. Shaking her head, she took another drink.

Then she leaned back against Wrex's arm. Just for a little while.

He let out a quiet huff but didn't say anything. Shepard felt her mouth twist upward, just slightly. She knew that he liked it.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me over on Tumblr. (http://settiai.tumblr.com/)


End file.
